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[av_heading heading=’ Army seeks public help in Panay insurgency drive’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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Wednesday. September 13, 2017
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ILOILO City – Community involvement is vital in the campaign against insurgents in Panay Island, according to the Philippine Army.
The 3rd Infantry Division is thus strengthening communication lines with communities, said Captain Eduard Precioso Jr., public information officer of the 301st Infantry Brigade based in Dingle, Iloilo.
The Army specifically wanted to curb the recruitment activities of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
The rebels do this by playing up negative issues about the government, particularly the supposed failure to reduce poverty, said Precioso.
“’Yung mga problema natin sa government, ipaabot natin sa tamang ahensya para masolusyunan,” he stressed.
The Philippines’ insurgency problem, nearly five decades old, is deemed the longest-running in Asia.
“The Army alone can’t do it. The community must take part in the effort here in Panay,” said Precioso.
He urged rebels to give peace a chance.
“Hindi naman natin kailangang makipaglaban sa government to resolve our issues. Why not give peaceful resolutions a chance doon sa problema,” he said.
The CPP Panay regional committee confirmed the recruitment in a statement released to mark the recent 48th anniversary of the NPA in March this year.
For Precioso, this indicated the dwindling number of rebels in Panay, thus the CPP-NPA was continuously recruiting young people to replenish its ranks./PN
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